You obviously don't know...

[LillFilly]

So my boyfriend's mother told me this story after dinner:

Her family was fixing their house, putting-on new shingle siding using trees cut from their property and processed by their family. The trees were oak (this is important). She was sent to buy the nails from the hardware store for the shingles, which being a hard wood would need a galvanized finishing nail.

She told the saleswoman what she wanted to order, and was told in a very condenscending way what she 'needed' were aluminum nails because she 'did not have' oak shingles. She told the saleswoman she did have oak shingles, because they were made from trees from her property. The saleswoman told her she would order aluminum nails anyway because that 'was what was needed because she did not have oak shingles.' She again told the saleswoman she DID NOT want aluminum nails because they would not go through oak shingles and to just order the nails she wanted. The saleswoman became frusturated and called-over a couple of male coworkers and told them 'she THINKS she has oak shingles!' The salesmen of course started laughing and one told her 'Ma'am, what you HAVE is probably pine with an oak stain.'

She finally thought she got the message through that, regardless of what they THOUGHT she had, she wanted to order the galvanized finishing nails. When she went to pick-up her order, what did she have? Say it with me... ALUMINUM NAILS! Of course she was pissed. Since she happened to have the same saleswoman as before, she went out to her car where this time she happen to have a piece of the wood with her. She went back inside, put the wood on the counter and told the saleswoman 'Now you hammer that nail in there and tell me how it works!' And the saleswoman and salesmen looked amazed and said 'IT IS OAK!'

NO &$##%$!!! DUH!!!

So they FINALLY ordered her the galvanized nails and put the siding a week behind schedule.

How those salespeople could have been so thick is beyond me! If the customer wants it, order it! Especially if they're sure they know what they're talking about!

[Soulstealer]

They would have lost my business once they started arguing with me. Sure customers a lot of times don't know what they need but to have the nerve to not listen and to actually order the wrong thing on purpose?

[MaggieTheCat]

Yeah, I can understand a sales person double-checking to clarify, maybe saying something like, "Are you sure you have oak and not pine with oak finish?" But if, after that, the customer still insisted, I dunno why any sales person (let alone MULTIPLE sales people) would argue. If she had just walked in the store and asked to order the galvanized nails without explaining what she needed them for, would they have argued with her then? Maybe aluminum nails are more expensive than galvanized nails and they were pushing for the higher price purchase?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I would have stuck the damn things on with children's kindergarten paste before I bought nails from those people.

[sprocket79]

If they saleswoman really thought that your bf's mom was wrong, she should have just ordered the galvanized nails anyway and then waited for them to be returned. Although, she never would have gotten the satisfaction of an, "I told you so," because she was wrong. Order what the customer asked for! If you make a suggestion and the customer says no, don't push it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I would have stuck the damn things on with children's kindergarten paste before I bought nails from those people.

Not if I eat all the paste first.

[Bright_Star]

It's not the salesperson's job to order what they feel the customer needs. IF most places did that then they wouldn't be in business for too long.

[EricKei]

Well...I would have said "maybe they were trying to stop her from wasting money on something she doesn't really need"...

UNTIL they contradicted and ridiculed her despite the very clear indication The Mom gave about the source of the singles.

They were just being s at that point.

[JLRodgers]

I'm kind of surprised they still argued once she said they made them from trees on the property.

[Pagan]

Not if I eat all the paste first.

That explains a lot!

[Fufu487]

Wow what stubborn headed help they have there at the store. I would have probably gotten into a bit of an argument after they told me more than a few times that I was wrong I would never in my years of doing sales, ever consider telling someone they DONT want something after they insist so many times "yes, I do', and then to purposefully order the wrong thing, I would have brought the siding in too. Just to rub it in her face a lil. Im sorry but, the way they acted was just wrong. Usually, Im an angel

[Polenicus]

Wow... see, I would have lost it. All my years of dealing with sucky customers and sympathy for salespeople and what they would have had to deal with would have gone right out the window the instant I saw those aluminum nails.

I would have brought that oak shingle in. I would have presented it and demanded the saleswoman hammer the nail into it. I would have called over the other male co-workers that she had previously called in to help ridicule me when I initially ordered the things. Then I would have gone completely APESHIT until I made one or more of them cry.

THEN I would have demanded a manager, gone up one side of them and down another, and kept going up the chain until my suck reached corporate levels.

And I'd have hated myself for it the next day. But this sort of thing is one of my hot buttons. Yes, customers are often wrong, but you don't ASSUME they're wrong just because what they're asking for is uncommon. You ESPECIALLY don't continue to assume they're wrong in face of all evidence. And then to finally agree to what they want, and then change it without their knowledge or consent because you assume you know what's best for them ANYWAY...

[LillFilly]

The problem with his mom is she's the kindest person in the world, but so mild-mannered that she never wants to confront those who are doing her wrong.

And yep, the trees were from their property, milled at their mill, shingles made by their family. No, they're not Amish, but several generations of family all bought properties next to each other so it's like they own that side of the mountain

PS. I think the galvanized nails were more expensive.

[jjllbb]

You're right! That was so RUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if we think the customer is wrong, at the end of the day if they insist we do what they ask! We don't order stuff they don't want that THEY'RE paying for!!!!!!!!! holy cow!

[BookstoreEscapee]

I think I would have been tempted to call my husband on my cell phone, in front of them, and make a big production of crying that they didn't believe me and they kept telling me I was wrong and wouldn't order the nails I need and wah wah wah. Then make them talk to him.

Or speak to the manager and tell him/her exactly why they were losing a customer and then go elsewhere.